Alucard's Little Huntress
by Caramella Cupcake
Summary: A vampire hunter named Courtney moves to England and runs into Alucard while on a hunt. He finds her fascinating, she fights the growing attraction towards him. Meanwhile there are too many vampires targeting England to be a coincidence, all sent to try and kill Hellsing's pride and joy, Alucard himself.
1. Chapter 1

This is my very first published fanfiction so...yay! Already working on chapter 2. I'd like to note that I stick to the Hellsing Ultimate version of things, with some changes. After Alucard kills Rip Van Winkle a speed boat is sent out to fetch him. The Last Battalion's zeppelins are intercepted before they reach England and all of Hellsing destroys them, so none of the deaths that occur after the fourth episode happened. Schrodinger was the only nazi to get away and doesn't hold any grudges. So yeah, and I apologize in advance for any OOC-ness. I do not own Hellsing.

* * *

The night flew past Courtney as she weaved her trusty motorcycle through the streets of England. She'd just finished a ring order, to be picked up the next day. It was a lovely thing of silver, etched with dolphins splashing about the waves. An anniversary gift a young man was giving to his girlfriend. As soon as Courtney had set it proudly aside to be presented to the client, her night job began. So now her long, charcoal grey, western style coat flapped out behind her followed by the whipping of deep red hair in its lengthy braid. The cool air didn't bother her despite the supremely short black skirt she wore, or the purple short-sleeved, off the shoulder shirt with black stripes, a yellow crescent moon and a smattering of stars decorating the front. Surprisingly her black newsboy hat with its silver cross pin managed to stay pulled down crookedly on her head as Courtney sped up, body bent forward in anticipation of killing vampires. Just a typical night for this twenty-five year old woman. It was better than being Batman, going out to save lives, protecting people from the evil's of the night; but without sending any to jail where they would undoubtedly escape to wreak more havoc. If only people realized how lucky they were. No one had been there to be her super hero twenty years ago. 'The moon was especially big and bright that night too.' Courtney thought, glancing at the giant glowing ball in the sky.

Traffic wasn't a problem as she neared the outskirts of the city. She'd heard strange reports on the news the past few days. People were going missing, households destroyed and families found dead from what police thought were animal attacks or a deeply disturbed serial killer. She'd pinned the abandoned meat storage facility as the source of the problem after a woman reported hearing strange noises. No one else had any leads. It wasn't too surprising that no one had connected all of the events yet, this was her life, the police weren't trained to look for signs of vampire activity.

"Ah well, best that no one figured it out. I hate having to explain myself when the police show up. Bloody idiots just get in the way." Courtney parked the bike and scanned the area. Nothing. Silence. Her well-trained senses told her all the monsters were in the building. "Hm. I've never killed five in one night before. Should be fun." Doing a few quick stretches, she tried not to dwell on the one vampire that felt stronger, more sinister...different. Drawing two silver daggers from the inside of her coat, Courtney took a few deep breaths, said a prayer, then silently entered the building.

Inside it was cold, dark and reeking of death. It took only a moment for her eyes to adjust since all the windows had been covered up. Courtney took note of the blood splatter that covered the majority of the room, but could see no bodies. Directly across from her were doors with a sign reading **Deep Freeze** on the wall. Stairs to the left went up to a balcony of sorts, empty offices could be seen through windows. Treading softly, her knee high black boots making barely a sound, she crossed the empty space watching both the doors and the floor above for any sign of movement. Opening one of the doors slightly Courtney held her breath.

Cow and human carcasses were hung on chains or strewn about the floor, most with large chunks missing. Her breath misted as she scanned carefully, trying to count the bodies. No, not enough bodies there to explain all of the disappearances. 'Which means there should be ghouls by the dozen.' Her mouth quirked with a mix of disgust and excitement. Stepping back out a sound could be heard directly above her. Shuffling, followed by groaning. Yup, the ghouls were upstairs. Swiftly moving up to the next level, Courtney was ready for the ghoul that came at her from the side. A quick jab through the head and it fell to the ground with a thump. More shuffled out from the offices to her left and right, drawn by the sound of their fallen comrade. Grinning, she spun, arms out, daggers slicing through rotting flesh to decapitate some. Following up was a lunge, thrust, and roll, her daggers singing through the air as the blessed things did their work. Ghouls were collapsing together to form small piles around her, it was impossible to keep count. In moments none remained. Then she heard the growl.

"You! What have you done to our ghouls?" The red eyes were first, then the vampire came closer. He wasn't very tall, young, blonde and angry.

"Isn't it obvious? I killed them." Courtney dismissed him and rolled her shoulders.

"Impossible, a mere human, let alone a woman, like you couldn't-" The vampire never finished his sentence as a dagger embedded itself in his forehead. Retrieving the weapon from the dust pile she spat on it, "I could, and I did."

Down a hall and around the corner she paused. The second vampire came out of an office, blood dripping from his mouth and hands. He looked identical to the previous one, only taller. "Hey, Sloppy!" Courtney called out. Slowly the vampire turned towards her, expression instantly becoming hungry. Ah, her adrenaline pumped blood, hot and thick, through her body. 'Must be too hungry to be wary of me. Moron' She thought as the vampire charged her. Moving faster than him, she swung and the arm he was reaching out with fell uselessly to the floor.

"Bitch!" He snarled in rage, striking at her legs. Falling back on her hands she used the momentum to kick the vampire in the head, then brought it smashing back down into the floor. As he moved to spring she raised a dagger to ram into his skull, which then proceeded to explode. Blood spattered her front and she moved automatically into a defensive crouch.

At the other end of the hall stood a tall man in red; a gun smoking in his outstretched hand. She took in the sight of him. A red, wide, floppy brimmed fedora sat atop a head of shaggy black hair, bangs hanging down to partly cover orange, heavily tinted, wire framed glasses which resembled goggles at the side. His charcoal suit seemed to emphasize his height, with a white shirt and a red cravat. White gloves, brown riding boots and a full-length red frock coat, that showed off broad shoulders, completed his ensemble. It came off as very Victorian, but ultimately unique.

Courtney opened her mouth to greet this strange man. The clouds outside had cleared, and moonlight came pouring in through a window whose cover had fallen off. The glint of fangs, exposed by a wicked Cheshire cat grin made her freeze. 'How is this possible? I should have known right away what he was! I should have sensed it.' Then she did.

Power radiated from the vampire in waves, enough to shock her back to her senses. It was apparent when he finished assessing her as she'd done to him, as he knocked his glasses down a bit on his nose to look over the rim at her with devilish red eyes. She narrowed her own hell smoke grey ones at him, over black rectangular, frameless sunglasses. It burned her that she'd failed to realize what he was sooner. He'd snuck up on her, stolen a kill, and now had the nerve to just stand there looking so...

'No Courtney, don't get taken in by his looks. He's not human.' She mentally berated herself.

"Human, what are you doing here?" The vampire asked, his voice was dark and seductive. It sent shivers down her spine.

"Apparently the same thing as you." Keeping her voice level was difficult as anger bubbled up. This vampire had to be doing something to mess with her.

"Oh really? That's very interesting. How many have you killed?" The gun was lowered, interest starting to spark.

"A bunch of ghouls and one vampire. Would have been two except _someone_ stole my kill." Courtney couldn't help the irritation that slipped out.

The vampire chuckled, "Actually, that would be kill_s_. The other two are already dead." He corrected her.

"What about the fifth?" She tried to block out the sound of his amusement, ignoring the disappointment of not being able to finish the job herself.

"Fifth?" His head tilted ever so slightly.

"I sensed you, the one I killed, the two you killed and one other." Her breathing stilled momentarily as he took a step forward.

"So, you can sense vampires. A rare talent for mortals these days." Another step followed his words, grin stretching wider. Courtney didn't retreat or shy away; instead she'd leant forward in her crouch, grip tightening on the daggers she held. Waiting. "Don't worry about Police Girl, she's out there taking care of the ghouls you missed." He paused, "I wonder if there are any more surprises to you." Then shot at her.

Courtney dodged and crouched again. When he started walking whilst firing, her instincts took over, dodging the bullets that flew at her with surprising speed. Gaining ground, she ran straight at him, and he fired several more. Quickly and fluidly she bent her body backwards, sliding forwards, skinning both knees. The bullets flew harmlessly by before she righted herself and swung. One dagger sliced into his side, the other, his face. He batted her back into a wall. Expecting it; she sprang off, driving both daggers into his heart.

The vampire took a step back but was fine, laughter building up in his chest. Shock rattled Courtney. 'He should be dust, dead, gone! Not laughing at me!' She backed up, ready to defend.

"You're quick, more so than some of the vampires I've killed. I'm a little impressed." He slid both daggers out and threw them at her with deadly speed. Never breaking eye contact, she snatched the handles from the air, one pointed an inch away from her heart. Both of them had raised weapons again when footsteps were heard. The vampire looked past Courtney and used a finger to push his glasses back up.

"What is going on here?" a female voice snapped. Turning just enough to see who was speaking without leaving herself open to attack, she answered.

"Just making England a safer place, but for now it's not safe for you to be here. Turn around and go home." Tucking both daggers into her coat, Courtney pulled out a silver revolver.

"Excuse me?" The woman sounded appalled, as if unused to being spoken to in such a manner.

"I said leave, go, _now_!" Courtney cocked the gun and ran at the vampire again, who did the same. Bullets went flying, and physical blows were dodged. Terrified and exhilarated she couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face, a pale imitation of the vampire. He was faster and stronger, but never went for a kill shot, toying with her instead. 'How arrogant.' was all she could think, reloading while ducking another punch.

"You will stop this instant! That is an order!" The impatient command brought the vampire to a stand still, just in time to get shot in the head. Assuming it was over, Courtney turned to tell the woman that she was an idiot. Before a single word could be said hands shot out, knocking her gun away and slamming her into the wall. She inhaled sharply from the pain of her left shoulder dislocating and the sight of those red eyes a very long arms length away.

"How are you not dead?" She ground out as the vampire clamped a hand around her wind pipe then lifted her two feet off the floor.

"Your toys are effective against these low-level vampires, but it'll take a lot more than that to kill me." The vampire brought his face closer, inhaling slightly. Courtney glared, a growl building up in her throat, then shot her head forward. Clamping her jaws down hard and tight she ripped out the front of his throat. The hold on her loosened and she dropped to the floor, grabbed her gun, and before anyone could do or say anything, ran. Pain never registered as she tore down the stairs, hopped on her motorcycle and sped off. It had sunk in that the woman was working with the vampire, otherwise he never would have responded to an order, and that the vampire in red was too much for her to deal with. For now. Best to retreat; live to fight another night.

Back at the factory the vampire had recovered from the unexpected assault. Throwing his head back; delighted laughter burst forth. She'd torn out his throat! With her teeth! It thrilled him, that fiery fighting spirit, the glee he'd glimpsed in her eyes as they fought. Some humans still managed to surprise him.

"Who was she, Alucard?" The woman interrupted his thoughts, laughter dying down to a dark chuckle.

"Who indeed. A fearless, deadly and fascinating woman who can sense vampires and fights like a demon. A huntress." The vampire, Alucard, looked over, grinned, "As that is all I know, shall I follow her? Just say the word my master; Sir Integra." Anticipation dripped from each word spoken.

"She can sense vampires? A rare thing." The woman, Integra, thought it over. Gloved hands pulled a cigar from the pocket of her dark suit, with a white dress shirt and simple red cravat decorated with a silver cross. Placing it in her mouth she lit it, striking blue eyes assessing Alucard through round wire frame glasses. "You are to hide your presence from her, do NOT approach or be seen. Find out her name and where she lives, then return. Now go!" Integra turned, her floor length blonde hair swishing, and strode back down the hall.

Alucard grinned, all teeth. "As you wish."


	2. Chapter 2

Okay so this took longer than expected...my apologies for that. I tend to obsess over things until satisfied. Not a lot of interaction between Alucard and Courtney in this one but there will be more in the next chapter. Again, sorry for any OOCness and I do not own Hellsing whatsoever.

* * *

It was nearly four in the morning when Courtney closed the apartment door behind her. Vibrating with restless energy she went about her after-the-hunt routine. Quickly relocating her shoulder with practiced moves she then stripped, hopped in the shower and washed up; scrubbing the vampire's blood away and spending extra time brushing her teeth. She cleaned her scraped knees with peroxide and re-braided her hair. Looking in the floor length mirror on the back of the bathroom door, Courtney saw the beginnings of bruises covering her body. It didn't bother her, she healed fairly quickly. However, her shoulder and where the vampire had his fingers around her throat were already dark. Wrapped in a towel she wandered into the bedroom, pulled on a white t-shirt and navy blue shorts, and started laundry before moving into the kitchen.

"No point in sleeping tonight." Opening the freezer she grabbed a small carton of half-baked ice cream, a spoon, then went to flop on a faded green couch. "Now how is it possible that the vampire in red survived my attacks? Plus it sounded like there's another vampire working with him _and_ a human. Hm..." Pondering over the eventful evening she shoveled ice cream into her mouth, "What he said about low-level vampires...that was pretty damn arrogant, and he either has the power or title to back it up. Can't be a title though if he's obeying a human." Putting both feet up on the coffee table Courtney fidgeted with the end of her wet braid. Then she felt someone watching her and froze. She looked around; no one was there. Getting up, she headed out to her little balcony. The air was cool and smelled like the promise of rain, but the streets and rooftops were empty; no fangs glinted in the moonlight and no red eyes looked out of any windows. Frowning she reached out with her senses and found nothing, but for good measure she flipped off the night then went back to her ice cream.

Alucard scowled as he retreated through the door of the human woman's apartment. The fact that he could hide his presence from her, even when a few feet away, was interesting. However, her assumption that he had no title because he served a human master was...irritating. Annoyed he turned into a colony of bats and flew back to his master.

She was waiting in her office, paperwork on the desk in front of her. Integra looked up when he held the wallet he'd stolen under her nose, "You'll find all the necessary information in here."

Taking the proffered wallet, Integra opened it and pulled out a couple of cards. "Courtney Dawn Rosenburry." She sat back and looked at the vampire before her, "Were you seen?"

"No, I remained hidden. She did not sense me either...not really anyway." Alucard stared at the little photo ID in Integra's hands, "I believe she felt me watching her, but that's all."

"I see." Pressing the button on the intercom she added, "Walter, I need you in my office." Then looked back at the card in hand. "She's twenty-five, from Canada, has a gun permit and a jewellers liscense...what about her current address?"

"It's there on a business card. She lives alone. No family photos or any sign of a lover." He grinned as the door behind him opened, "Walter."

"Alucard." Was the returned greeting from an elderly gentleman who walked over to the desk. "What can I do for you Sir Integra?" He stood at attention wearing standard butler attire. Longish black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, purple-grey eyes looking between Integra and Alucard, assessing the mood in the room.

"I need you to find all the information you can on this woman, as quickly as possible." Integra replaced the cards and handed over the wallet. Her hands steepled as she eyed Alucard, "Did it seem like she would be telling anyone of the incident?"

Alucard shook his head, "No, I don't think she will. I have the feeling that like us, she prefers to keep the existence of vampires a secret. Now if you don't mind, the sun will soon rise and unless necessary I prefer not to be up with it."

Integra nodded and watched as the vampire walked through the wall next to the door.

Walter had looked over the contents of the wallet, "If I may ask, what is so special about this woman?"

"She showed up, took out one of the vampires, a few dozen ghouls, and fought with Alucard." Integra watched Walter's eyes widen slightly.

Walter looked from the picture ID in his hand, to where the vampire he'd known for a very long time had disappeared. Anderson was the only one he could recall who had walked away alive from a fight with Alucard. "How is that possible?"

Integra waved a hand in a dismissive gesture, "For whatever reason, Alucard wasn't trying to kill her. Then she ripped out his throat and took off." The very memory of it still baffled her, but she supposed Courtney did what she did to survive.

Intrigued, Walter bowed to Integra, "I will have everything I can find on this Courtney by lunch." Leaving the room, he wondered in passing what Alucard thought about all this.

* * *

By noon, Courtney felt the drag from lack of sleep. Not even ice cream could help keep her up anymore; there was no reason to. The client had showed up, picked up his ring, paid the other half of the bill, and left with a noticeable bounce in his step. She hoped the girl was as happy and in love as he seemed. Actually she was a little envious. For the most part she preferred the solitude and knew it was better that way. Hunting vampires was time-consuming, dangerous and not something that could be shared with anyone. But she did get lonely. Sometimes all Courtney wanted was someone to talk with about everything, someone who could understand her, hold her, maybe even love her...

She shook her head, "Ugh, time to stop thinking like that, I need sleep." Stretching, Courtney locked up, closed all the curtains and grabbed a dagger to place under her pillow.

Her bedroom was dark and cool, the king size bed taking up most of the small space. The walls were painted purple, her favorite color, and the floor was the same hard wood as the rest of the apartment. The only other furniture in the room was the bedside table and a long dresser with the freshly washed and dried clothes carefully folded on top of it. The bed had two pillows and a plush comforter, all from her favorite bed set, purple with black butterflies and roses stitched across it. The darkness of the room was a relief on her tired eyes as she shut and locked the bedroom door behind her. With a groan Courtney flopped on the bed, rolling the blanket around herself and buried her face in a plump pillow. Behind closed eyes she saw the vampire in red and remembered the look he'd given her over his glasses, the cheshire cat grin, the sound of his voice. It followed her as she drifted off to sleep.

Three restless hours later Courtney woke to someone knocking on her front door, the sound echoing around the little apartment. Wide awake she slid out of bed pulling her dagger out from under the pillow. She left her bedroom and tip-toed across the room to stop a foot away from the door. Not sensing any vampires but also not expecting anyone she was wary when she called out, "Who's there?"

"Ah Miss Rosenburry, I was beginning to think you'd gone out. My name is Walter, and I am here to escort you to see Sir Integra." The polite tone would set normal people at ease, but she knew better. Contrary to popular belief, it was the polite ones, not the quiet ones, you had to watch out for.

Opening the door a crack Courtney held her dagger out of sight, "I don't know you or this Integra, so how do you know my name and where I live?" Her suspicion never wavered, even though it was an old man who she assumed was a butler, standing there alone and supposedly unarmed. He bowed slightly, his eyes shifting to the door which hid her weapon from view, and smiled. Not missing the look she tensed.

"Sir Integra was the one who stopped Alucard from killing you last night." Walter watched as she leant against the door frame.

"So the vampire in red's name is Alucard is it? That's amusing." Slowly she pulled the dagger into view and inspected it, carefully watching his reaction. "She didn't stop anything. I know the difference between a vampire trying to kill me and one that's just messing around. Which brings up the important question again; how do you know my name and where I live?" Her posture seemed relaxed, but really she was ready and waiting to see if the old man would try anything. After all, he worked with vampires. The last thing she would have expected though, was for her own wallet to be handed to her.

"Alucard followed you last night and procured this. Now please, Sir Integra does not like to be kept waiting." It sounded like she had a choice, but that was a lie. His posture told Courtney that she was coming with him, willingly or not.

Blinking down at the wallet, she walked back into her apartment, leaving the door open. 'How did he get my wallet? I didn't see or sense anything...but I did. Someone was watching me. How could I have not known or seen...' Then it hit her. The funny thing about his name might not be a coincidence. 'Could he really be?' She turned around slowly to face Walter, who remained in the hallway. "Alucard, is he...Dracula? Like THE Dracula? The first vampire?" A slight nod was her answer, "Well then, that explains why I couldn't kill him. Damn." Flinging her arms in frustration she walked into her bedroom calling out, "Let me change, then I'll go with you."

"Of course." Walter stayed put, feeling very puzzled. This woman made the connection that Alucard is Dracula and was barely fazed. People who knew of or believed in vampires, heck even other vampires, tended to fear the very thought of him. Of course there were exceptions, mostly those who knew the vampire personally, but to see someone shrug it off like that was unheard of. 'She's either very foolish or insane.' He checked his pocket watch, 'Sir Integra will be displeased if this takes much longer.' Looking back up he couldn't believe his eyes. The woman had come back wearing an inappropriately short skirt that show cased a tattoo of a black thorny branch with leaves and pale roses. It disappeared under her skirt and boots. The striped shirt hanging off her shoulder revealed a large patch of bruising which matched the ones around her neck. She'd taken the time to put on lipstick and eyeshadow, but didn't bother to hide the dark patches he assumed Alucard had given her.

"Alrighty Walter, stop staring and let's go." Courtney pulled on her coat before stepping out into the hall and locking the apartment door. Walter bowed again, taking note of the weapons tucked into her coat, then led the way downstairs to a black car parked in front of her building. "Oh no no no, I'm not getting in there. I'll follow you on my bike." She backed up.

Walter held a door open for her, "That's not possible Miss Rosenburry, we cannot allow you to know where our headquarters are located. I understand that this may make you a little uneasy but I promise no harm will come to you." He held out a strip of cloth. "It's also raining out."

Sighing, she shook her head, "Not happening. There's no reason for me to go after you or tell anyone about your headquarters. You know where I live and had Alucard steal my wallet. S'only fair in my opinion. Besides, do you really expect someone of my...profession, to just trust you?" Crossing her arms so a hand rested on each dagger inside her coat, Courtney waited. Causing a scene was the last thing she wanted to do, but there was no chance in hell she'd allow someone to blindfold her, and be driven to a place where at least two vampires lived, with no sure way of escape. To do so was suicide in her mind.

After a lengthy pause Walter closed the door. "I see your point, but if you betray our whereabouts to anyone, there will be consequences." He gave her a stern look. Courtney saluted her acknowledgement, water dripping off the brim of her hat, then went back to the parking lot to get her motorcycle from its little shed. At least they didn't steal this from her.

* * *

It wasn't too long a drive, the rain dying down to a mist. The chilly air kept Courtney wide awake and numbed the ache in her shoulder. When they arrived she couldn't help but marvel at the mansion before her. It was three very tall stories high, done in stone and had far too many windows to count. The grounds were well-kept with bushes lining everything. How they managed to afford living in a place like this while keeping it so pristine, was beyond her.

Parking by the entrance, she gestured, "Seriously? Who the heck are you people?"

"We'll get around to that, for now I need you to follow me." Walter walked in and up a flight of stairs, leading her as she gawked at the massive interior, to a set of large wooden doors. He knocked and waited.

"Come in."

Walter opened the doors and motioned Courtney in, "I've brought Miss Rosenburry as you ordered Sir."

"Very good Walter, thank you." Integra set aside a stack of papers. "Miss Rosenburry, please have a seat."

Cautiously she walked forward, dripping water on the marble floor, and sat on the edge of a chair, "Please, just call me Courtney." Her eyes roamed the room, from the big mahogany desk in front of her to the wall to wall windows and the built-in fireplace with a large portrait above it. The man in the picture was blonde with blue eyes and resembled Integra a great deal, most likely her father.

"Fine then. Courtney, do you have any idea why you've been brought here?" Integra motioned Walter out.

"I'm assuming it has something to do with my encounter with your vampire last night. But before we get into this I want to know who you are and what this place is." She could sense one vampire below her, she assumed that was the 'Police Girl' mentioned the previous night, but no Alucard. It was disconcerting to not be able to know where he was.

"I am Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, and we are the Hellsing organization. Our job is to eradicate all non-human creatures, mainly vampires, and keep their existence a secret from the public. Something I believe you do as well. I summoned you here because you showed quite a bit of talent last night. I also hear that you can sense vampires. You are an asset I cannot ignore. Therefore I would like to offer you a place among us." Integra lit a cigar and took a drag.

Courtney settled back, brow furrowed, this was the last thing she expected to find. Who knew that there was an organization whose sole purpose was killing vampires? They must be good at covering stuff up. "Don't you have enough people to go out there and kill the undead? Or do you just prefer to use vampires to kill their own? Plus how is it that you have Dracula working for you?" This was the biggest question on her mind.

"Ah, you mean Alucard. My ancestor defeated him a very long time ago and bound him to my family, the details are none of your concern. And as you would expect, people do die sometimes, so it's good to have as many skilled soldiers as possible." Smoke swirled in the air as Integra scrutinized the damp woman in front of her. Not many could talk of Alucard being Dracula so casually. Taking another drag she continued, "Our goals are the same. Join us and do more good than you can on your own."

"We both kill vampires, yes, but I don't know and I don't trust you or your people. So I'll have to decline the offer, thank you very much, as I do just fine on my own. Now if you'll excuse me." Courtney got up and turned to go.

"What happened to your family twenty years ago?" The question made Courtney freeze. "There are articles saying that they all died in a fire that devoured your entire home, and that you were the sole survivor. Your only family was your Uncle, who took you in and died seven years later, leaving you a fortune. Now you are the last of your line, all other relatives having died in various and sometimes suspicious circumstances. Why is that do you think?"

She turned to glare at the blonde woman behind the desk. "You seem to know a lot about my history Sir Integra. Did you offer me a job because I passed some special vampire hunter background check?" Her stance was rigid, temper flaring.

"No, I offered you the job because as I said, you are an asset I cannot ignore. But your history makes me think that you aren't the only one of your family to have been able to sense vampires. I believe it's for that ability that they were killed off. You would be safer with us, that is the only thing that should matter. Trust is something that will develop over time." Integra spoke as though these facts were obvious.

Stalking over to the desk, Courtney slammed her hands down and leaned forward until their eyes were level, "You know nothing of me and you don't care about what happened to my family. How dare you use them to try to win me over to your cause! Well I won't do it. I am fine on my own and an asset to no one but myself. So, again, I have to decline your offer." She kept her tone low, wanting to get her point across. The burst of anger never fazed Integra. Courtney growled in frustration and turned on her heel, which squeaked loudly, moving towards the door again. Then she sensed the faintest trace of vampire to the right. Whipping out her revolver she turned and shot with blinding speed and accuracy, getting Alucard straight through the heart.

His response was to laugh. "Good shot little Huntress." Alucard grinned. He was without hat or glasses, so nothing hid the way his eyes raked up and down her body, lingering on her tattoo.

"Oh bugger off." Courtney snapped and stormed out. She could be heard stomping down the stairs and slamming the front door.

Alucard and Integra remained as they were, listening to the sound of a motorcycle starting up and speeding off. "Well that didn't go very well." Alucard remarked.

"It may not have been the best approach, but you'd think that she would have brains enough to see that her family was a target." Integra tapped her fingers on the desk eyeing the vampire, "How did she know you were there?" She asked. The amount of skill with which Courtney had handled the gun impressed Integra, and she envied the very action of shooting her servant. Of course she wouldn't shoot Alucard unless necessary, no matter how tempting it could be. After all, it wouldn't kill him.

He shrugged, "I may have let her, just to see what her reaction would be. However, I never got the chance. Perhaps she was going to shoot you but saw me first." The silver bullet fell out as he healed himself.

"I highly doubt that." The idea of it made her frown. "Why are you even here? I thought you were sleeping." The vampire was rarely up before nightfall of his own free will.

Alucard didn't answer, "Shall I go and try to persuade her to reconsider your offer?" The eagerness in his tone was a little surprising to both of them.

Integra decided to ignore Alucard's odd behaviour, "Just let her think it over. In time she may reconsider on her own. Now leave, I have work to do." And dismissed him.

She never saw the mischievous look in his eyes as he sank through the floor. 'I am not allowed to try to persuade her, but going to her was never forbidden.'


End file.
